Maybe There is Such a Thing as Heart
by MaryxKat36
Summary: A new Espada has joined Aizen's ranks. What will happen when she learns that she is on the wrong side? What will she do to stop the oncoming slaughter?
1. Prologue

**_Prologue: Acceptance_**

**_Recommended Song: Free by Twin Atlantic_**

She couldn't believe it. There she was, in the very palace of the Lord of Hueco Mundo. She had tried so hard for so long to gain entrance, and now she was standing in front of the great lord himself. She knelt on one knee and bowed her head, trying hard to control her breathing.

On either side of her were all the previously accepted warriors. The all looked so intimidating, staring at her from their seats around the horse-shoe shaped table. She wished they would leave, or at the very least look away. She laid her arms over her raised knee and clenched her fists. _Maybe this was a bad idea; maybe I shouldn't have come here._ Her mind wandered as she knelt there waiting for someone to tell her to leave.

"Rise, let me have a better look at you," the lord calmly commanded her. She sucked in a breath and stood up, facing the lord and staying as calm as possible. He looked her over once before smiling slightly. She chewed on her lower lip nervously. _What if he doesn't like me? What if he throws me back outside?_ She didn't think she would be able to face that black sky for eternity. She played with her hair, which had long ago grown past her knees, and was now in a high ponytail that brushed the floor. As the silence grew longer still, her eyes drifted to the newly formed hole where her heart was. It was barely visible over the top of her shirt, but she couldn't help it. It was still very new to her. After all, being close to an Espada was a big deal.

He looked back up at her face before saying softly, "You appear to be quite skilled," he shifted forward "I'll accept you into my army, but you have to obey my every command."

She was overjoyed, she could have screamed in happiness! She looked up into the Lord's face to make sure he wasn't joking. After staring at him for a moment longer she realized she should respond. She sucked in a breath and replied happily "Yes sir, thank you, Lord Aizen."


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1: The Beginning **_

_**Recommended Song: Make A Move by Lostprophets**_

The Captain of Squad 2 rushed quickly down the hall, shoving past everyone who was in her way. There was trouble within the squads and the first person that had to know was the Head Captain. If it wasn't handled immediately who knew what would happen. She growled in annoyance at all of the Soul Reapers standing in her way. They all seemed to just be talking, although a few were rushing with their arms full of papers.

"Move!" she shouted angrily and watched as they all scattered. Realizing that she was wasting precious time, she began Flash Stepping through the masses of people still lingering around. Eventually she came to the large set of doors that led into the Head Captain's chamber. Taking a moment to compose herself, she grabbed the handle and threw the doors open. She strode quickly through the room to stand before the Head Captain, whose appearance, even in his advanced age, still filled her with awe. His long white beard was bound with a black ribbon that crisscrossed it multiple times before finally reaching the end. The end of the beard itself was lying on the floor in front of him. When she finally stood in front him she knelt down on one knee and waited for the ancient Captain to address her.

"Captain Soi-Fon, what troubles you?" he croaked out.

She stood to face the Head Captain directly before saying softly "Its Aizen sir; that lying traitor killed several men and then fled through a Senkaimon. We are not sure where he went, but I swear we will catch him!" The Head Captain watched her thoughtfully as she explained the situation to him before sighing softly.

"It's just as I feared." He said quietly more to himself than to anyone else. He gazed out the window before replying to Soi-Fon. "Gather all the available Captains. Tell them we prepare for war."

**_In Karakura Town_**

"Ichigo, over here!" Orihime waved and called from down the street. Ichigo waved back to acknowledge her, and then looked back at the sky. He knew something was wrong; he could feel it in his gut. The rest of the day had been normal enough. He had gotten up and left without a word, as usual. School had been the same. The only strange thing was the lack of Hollows. He shook his head, thinking he probably just imagined it. He took several steps backwards toward Orihime and looked at the sky one last time. Turning, he stopped dead when he felt an enormous amount of spiritual pressure. Ichigo looked up at Orihime, and from the look on her face he knew she felt it too. Nodding once at each other they set off running in the direction of the energy.

**_Elsewhere in Karakura Town _**

Fria stood on the roof of a skyscraper looking out over the town where she had just been brought. She loved the feel of the wind running through her hair, which was still up in its high ponytail and was now flapping behind her. It was a really light blue, it looked white at times. She would never feel cold even in the off the shoulder short sleeved coat that was short enough to show off her belly button. The wind was also flowing through her long skirt that had a series of ruffles running around it at certain intervals. The slit that ran up the right side ended midway up her thigh. The outfit was completed by her hollow mask in the form of a choker around her neck with a small snowflake shaped bone dangling off it. She stifled a laugh, knowing that it would not make her look serious, and looked over at her partner for the mission. The sixth Espada looked extremely unhappy to be her escort today. His short blue hair was spiked back and was blowing gently in the breeze. His Hollow mask was a narrow strip that ran along his jaw line. He had a scowl on his face. She still had no idea why they were here in this town anyway.

"So what do we have to do today?" she asked hesitantly. He glared at her, and she took a few steps back. She could tell he was much stronger than she was and she had no desire to mess with him.

He looked back out at the horizon and growled out "_We _are doing nothing. _You _are going to sit here and wait while _I _go out on recon."

Fria put a pout on her face and turned away from him. "You know, I don't even know anything about you besides the fact that you are Espada number six." She whispered quietly.

He turned back to her and grabbed her shoulders. Spinning her to face him, he whispered angrily, "I'm not here to make friends with you, and I don't intend to tell you anything about myself. The only thing you need to know about me is that I find you annoying. I work alone, and you just drag me down. I have enough problems of my own, babysitting the lowest ranking Espada isn't one of them. Do your job, and don't make small talk. Do I make myself clear?"

Fria blinked her blue eyes at him and nodded her head vigorously. He released her with a shove and hopped off the building. She was still stunned as she watched him walk through the air, grumbling quietly to himself. She couldn't explain the sudden fury welling up within her, but she knew right then that she would never get along with this man. So what if she was ranked 11? She could handle herself! She flopped down on the edge of the roof and crossed her legs. She rested one arm across her lap and then placed her head in the hand of the other. Fria sighed loudly and settled in for a long wait.

**_Ichigo _**

Ichigo stopped in his pursuit of the strong spirit energy when he noticed a blue haired man in all white walking in the air above them. He stopped Orihime and pointed up at him. Orihime let out a gasp and looked at Ichigo for guidance.

"Stay here, I'm going to handle him. Okay?" he said, unsure if he was making a smart move. She nodded her head. He pulled out the Soul Candy dispenser and pushed the top down. A small white pill popped out and he swallowed it. Moments later Ichigo's body fell to the ground and he was left standing in his Soul Reaper garb.

"Ichigo, be careful." He turned back to Orihime and saw the concerned look on her face. He grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. She gave him a shaky smile and stepped back. He pulled out his Zanpakuto and rushed into the air after the strange man.

**_Grimmjow _**

Grimmjow walked along mumbling. Of all the people he had to get stuck with, it had to be the new girl. He cursed Aizen, seeing as it was all his idea anyway - although he could practically guarantee that bastard Tousen had something to do with it.

"I need something to hit," He mumbled to himself. _Or someone, _he added mentally, thinking of Fria. He felt something odd and he stopped looking around. He looked down and at the last second dodged a strike that would have cut him in half. He jumped back and pulled out his Zanpakuto.

"Lookie here, a Soul Reaper," he said looking at the strange orange haired boy in front of him. "Funny the coincidence, I was just thinking I needed something to hit."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the Soul Reaper demanded. He held his large Zanpakuto in front of him and took a battle stance.

"You think I'm gonna answer to you?!" Grimmjow shouted as he rushed him. The boy brought his sword up in front of him and blocked the attack. He quickly responded with an attack of his own, which Grimmjow easily dodged. The Soul Reaper swung his Zanpakuto in a wide arc. Grimmjow blocked it and lunged forward, intending to impale the boy and be done with it. The boy held his sword in front of him and narrowly blocked the strike. Grimmjow growled and swung his sword at him with full force. The boy, still blocking, slid back several feet backwards from the force of the impact. Grimmjow chuckled and held his Zanpakuto out in front of him. His smile quickly faded when he heard the boy mutter one word.

"_Bankai!_"

**_Fria _**

Fria was still sitting in the same spot, when a large wave of spirit energy rushed over her. She stood up quickly and looked out over the horizon. It was then she noticed two small figures fighting in the distance. She squinted trying to make out who they were when one of them went flying into a building. Fria realized that was the direction her partner had traveled, and that he was most likely in trouble. She leapt off the roof and ran as fast as she could over to the fight. She slowly pulled her Zanpakuto from its place on her belt. It was smaller than most, only about the length of her arm. It was also unusually thin. The handle was a dark blue with a gold pommel and guard. The guard was a complicated snowflake design. She had never showed the release state before, but she felt she might have to sometime soon. _Why did I have to get stuck with an oblivious partner?_ She sighed in resignation and continued running.

**_Ichigo _**

Ichigo was breathing hard when he sent the strange newcomer flying. He was planning on not using Bankai, but realized pretty early that he would die if he didn't. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focused on the battle at hand. He was waiting for his opponent when something caught his attention. There was a girl running through the air toward the building where he had just sent the enemy. She was dressed like the blue haired man and had a Zanpakuto. She knelt down in front of the collapsed form of the enemy. He heard a shout from the collapsed man but couldn't make out what he said. She shouted something back at him and motioned her arm in Ichigo's direction. The man began to sit up still shouting at her. The girl pushed the man back down and then hopped out of the hole on the building and started towards him. Ichigo held his sword out in front of him and prepared to fight.

"What is your name? I'm Fria." The girl said when she as close enough.

"What's it to you?" Ichigo responded, not letting down his guard.

"Well," the girl said, chuckling. "I just like to know the names of the people I am about to kill. It makes it more interesting when I make it personal."

"Well then, I'm Ichigo. Don't expect to beat me though."

"Good. I wasn't looking for an easy fight." She said with a smile. She took a step forward before disappearing. He quickly turned around and blocked her oncoming strike. She smirked and jumped back. She wasted no time in striking again this time with a lunge. Ichigo sidestepped and swung his sword horizontally. Fria leapt back and blocked it, holding her sword vertically and taking a wide stance.

"That all you got, Soul Reaper?" she asked smiling. Ichigo jumped back and brought his sword up above his head. Zangetsu began taking on a black aura that was rimmed with red.

"Getsuga Tensho!" He shouted swinging his sword in a wide arc. The aura became much larger and flew off in the direction that Ichigo had swung. Fria's eyes widened and she lowered herself into a crouch. At the last minute she sprang up and leapt high above the shock wave. Ichigo watched with surprise as she sailed over and landed several feet away from him. She stood up and shook her hair out of her face. She turned to him and held her hands behind her back. Taking the opportunity to strike Ichigo lunged closer a swung in a downward slash. Fria moved to the side but not far enough. She spun away from him and jumped back holding her right shoulder. Blood was seeping through her fingers and her face had a grimace plastered on it. She groaned quietly and took her hand off. She shook her head and held her Zanpakuto out in front of her. Fria placed her free hand on the blade staining it with her blood.

"I was hoping not to use this but it seems this battle won't get anywhere if I don't." She took a deep breath before murmuring "Chill, Dansu Shimo."

**_Author's Note: CUT! See? I promised more action. Next chapter will go into Fria's release ability. Sorry if this seemed too long but I really got into it this time around. Post a review to show you liked it! Fria's release phrase translates to Dancing Frost._**

**_Special Thanks to VisionsInCombat and hope24hours for checking for errors and offering much needed critique._**

**_-Beta'd by VisionsInCombat-_**


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Challenge Me**_

_**Recommended Song: Survive by Rise Against**_

Aizen sat in his throne with his hands clasped in front of him. He was listening patiently to the report of his subordinate, Tousen.

"Grimmjow has started a fight with that Soul Reaper boy, Ichigo, sir. He also dragged the new girl into the battle." Tousen said calmly. He looked up at Aizen, although being blind he couldn't see him.

Aizen stared calmly at him, pondering this new information. _It could be trouble if the Soul Society catches wind of my plan before I am ready, _He mused. "Tousen, go after them and stop them from getting themselves killed."

"And what of the Soul Reaper?"

"Leave him for now, he has a bigger part to play in this than he realizes."

_**Karakura Town **_

Fria held her Zanpakuto out in front of her. It had taken on an eerie blue glow, but otherwise remained unchanged. Ichigo stared at it, waiting for something else to happen.

"That all?" he asked her. Fria answered with a smile, and then moved impossibly fast. She was in front of him and before he could react she slashed. A large cut appeared on his chest and blood poured from the new wound. Ichigo felt cold. He looked at her and she smiled.

"The ability of my Zanpakuto is a secret. I'll let you live if you figure it out. Hurry though; it's only a matter of time before the effect takes over." Ichigo stared dumfounded at his wound and was even more surprised to notice it freezing before his eyes. He looked up as Fria began to laugh hysterically. She was bent over laughing, holding her stomach. She seemed to notice him staring at her and struggled to regain her composure.

"Sorry," she said between laughs, "It's just been a while since I had this much fun." Ichigo, while still registering that she was speaking, felt as if he was hearing her through water. She stood up straight again. She said something he couldn't hear and then raised her sword to strike. It happened in a flash... and suddenly, Tousen had her wrist, stopping her from swinging. She turned to him, surprise written all over her face. Ichigo focused all his energy to hear what they were saying.

"Lord Aizen requires you back at Hueco Mundo."

"Yes sir."

Fria sheathed her Zanpakuto. She pointed at Grimmjow who was standing with his arms folded across his chest. Tosen beckoned Grimmjow to them and then turned to open a Garganta. Fria turned back and looked at Ichigo. He was breathing heavily and seemed to just barely be hanging on to consciousness.

"What about him, sir?" Fria asked Tousen. He glanced back at Ichigo and shook his head.

"By the looks of it, he won't last much longer."

Ichigo shook his head. He took a deep breath to try and stay awake. He looked at Fria and mumbled something.

"What was that?" she asked tilting her head in his direction and putting a hand to her ear.

"I asked if you work for that traitor Aizen!"

Fria looked to Tousen to see if it was okay. He showed no signs of answering so she shrugged and turned back to Ichigo.

"Lord Aizen is my boss. So yes, I work for him, and he isn't a traitor! How dare you say such things!" She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She winced, feeling the pain in the wound more acutely. Tousen shook his head and motioned for her to step through the Garganta. She turned and stepped through waiting patiently for Tosen and her partner. She watched Ichigo as he struggled to stay standing. In all honesty she was surprised he was still standing. No one else had lasted this long. _Maybe I'm getting rusty. _She watched as Tousen and her partner stepped through and it started to close. She wiggled her fingers at Ichigo in farewell.

"Bye Soul Reaper!"

Ichigo staggered forward not ready to let this go. His vision was spotted and he felt light headed. He reached a hand out toward the closing Senkaimon. His vision went black and the last thing he felt was the sensation of falling.

_**Hueco Mundo **_

"What exactly were you thinking when you attacked the Soul Reaper?"

Fria knelt in front of Aizen as he spoke to her. She feared that this would happen and couldn't make eye contact with any of the few people in the room.

"Sir, I didn't realize that our objective was reconnaissance. I also thought that Grimmjow was attacked. I didn't realize that he started the fight with provocation." She said with her head lowered. She waited for someone to tell her that she was no longer needed in the army.

"Tell me about your Zanpakuto's ability."

Fria looked up in surprise. She wasn't expecting this. She cleared her throat.

"I would really rather not, sir." She said softly. Aizen cocked his head to the side. "It's complicated and hard to explain is all." She said backtracking. If he really knew why she didn't want to explain he would probably have her killed.

"That is quite a nasty wound on your shoulder." He said motioning. She looked down and noticed again the severe amount of pain that emanated from it. She nodded and covered it with her opposite arm. He waved his arm forward and from the shadows stepped another person. He had short white hair and a smile that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. She knew that she had seen him before, but she couldn't place where.

"Gin here will bring you to another of your comrades. He will then treat your arm. Then retire to your room and wait for further orders."

She nodded "Thank you, sir."

Gin walked over and motioned for her to follow him. She had to jog to keep up with him, and with each step a new wave of pain went through her shoulder. She followed Gin through the twisting corridors and made so many turns that she wasn't sure she would ever memorize the layout. They came to a stop in front of a small door that was at the end of the hallway. Gin motioned to it and walked off. She watched him go and then turned back to the door. Fria raised her hand to knock when the door swung open. There stood a thin man with short pink hair and glasses.

"I was already told of your coming. Please enter." He said waving his arm for her to come in. She stepped in and took a look around. The room was dimly lit and filled with all sorts of things. One shelf had all different kinds of microscopes while another was covered with beakers. Each beaker held a different color liquid. It caused the room to have colorful spots at random intervals throughout. He walked ahead of her and pulled out a small case. He pulled a chair up beside him and patted the seat. She walked over and sat down, careful not to disturb anything. She held out her hand to the man.

"I'm Fria, thank you for patching up my arm." She watched as a mixture of emotions passed over his face, disbelief for one. He smiled politely after a pause and grabbed her hand.

"Nice to meet you Fria. I am Szayel." She shook his hand and then watched as he laid out various tools. She bit her lip when he picked up a large knife. He saw her expression and chuckled.

"Relax, I won't use this today. There's no need. If your wound was worse we might have found the need to." She laughed nervously. _Is he seriously a doctor? _Fria winced when he put a pad on her shoulder. It smelled of horrible cleaner and she was relieved when he removed it a moment later.

"Extend your arm out." He commanded, and she obeyed. He pulled out a roll of gauze and began wrapping her shoulder. "Normally we would use Kido but your wound isn't that serious." She waited patiently for him to finish when he cleared his throat.

"Lord Aizen tells me you have an interesting release state. Want to explain it to me?" Szayel asked cutting the end of the gauze off and looking at her. She fidgeted in her seat and was finding a way to answer when she heard a sigh from the door.

"Szayel, can't you see she doesn't want to talk about it?" The figure in the door said. Fria looked up and had a hard time making out details with the light behind them. Szayel sighed loudly and waved his hand in annoyance.

"Yes, yes I see that. Nelliel would you escort young Fria to her room, I have my hands full?" He walked over to a counter and began putting away the tools. Fria jumped up from her seat and practically ran to the door. Nelliel moved out of her way and Fria was glad to be out of there. She felt as if she could breathe again. Nelliel laughed softly at her expression and smiled.

"So, where is your room?" Fria looked over at her and stared. Her hair was an odd green-blue color and hung around her waist. Fria let out a soft _wow._ Nelliel tilted her head and stared back.

"Is there something on my face?" Fria was brought out of her trance by her voice. Fria shook her head and chuckled.

"No, it's just your hair, it's so pretty. I'm Fria by the way."

"Thank you, although your hair is pretty nice too. I'm Nelliel, but please call me Nel." Fria giggled. _How in the world did we get on the topic of hair? _Fria reached in her back pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. She looked down at it and read the contents. _314._ Her room number stared back at her. She handed the paper to Nel and watched as the woman stared at it. Her face lit up a moment later.

"Your room is just down the hall from mine! C'mon I'll show you where it is." She started off at a slow pace down the hall. Fria took long strides and cursed her short height. She wasn't much shorter than Nel but still had a hard time keeping up. She huffed in annoyance as she followed Nel through multiple halls.

"Does this place come with a map?" Fria asked between breaths. Nel shook her head.

"It would make it easier, but I think that's why they don't give us one. They want to keep us confused." Fria watched as Nel came to a slow stop. She looked back at Fria as she tried to catch her breath.

"Does…everyone here…walk so fast?" Fria said between puffs. Nel jerked her head at the door and waited. Fria looked up at it and grabbed the handle. Looking to Nel once; she swung the door open. She was disappointed by what she saw. The room was all white and scarcely furnished. There was a small bed in the corner and on the other side of the room was a desk. She huffed again and walked into the room. _At least there's a window._ Fria walked over to the window and looked out. She had a _great_ view of the endless desert of Hueco Mundo. She turned back to Nel, who was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Not what you expected?"

"Not even close. It could be worse though."

"Yeah, I guess. " Fria shrugged and walked over to Nel.

"So where's your room?" She followed Nel out into the hall and watched as she pointed.

"All the way at the end of this hall, it's on the right. If you need anything don't hesitate to stop by." Fria smiled.

"You have been the nicest person to me. Why is everyone else so different?" Nel pondered this a moment before answering.

"Well, a lot of them are slow to warm up to newbies. Then there are the people who never warm up. I would avoid them at all costs." Nel said with her chin in her hand. Fria listened closely and took the words to heart. _Well that explains Grimmjow at least._

"Anyway, I have to go and take care of some business. I'll drop by later to see how you are doing, okay?" Fria nodded her head and waved goodbye to Nel. She went back into her room and closed the door behind her. As a second thought, she turned the lock. She walked over to the small bed in the corner and flopped down on it. She was exhausted and felt as if she could sleep for days. She stared at the plain white ceiling and began to trace invisible patterns with her finger. A short while later a knock sounded on her door. _That was fast;_ she thought thinking that it was Nelliel. She hopped off her bed and laid her right hand on the hilt of her Zanpakuto. Fria slowly walked up to the door and slowly turned the lock. She tensed and turned the knob. When she finished she waited a moment. Before she could react, the door flew open and someone had her pinned against the wall. She looked up at her attacker and glared. Grimmjow had his arm against her throat and kept her from escaping. She put both hands against his arm and pushed, trying to get him off. He did not budge an inch. She stopped her struggles and stood on her toes to ease the pressure.

"All because of that little stunt you pulled, I now have one less arm. I figure hat you owe me." He snarled in her face. Fria looked down and indeed, he did only have one arm. The other was just a stump and was currently dripping blood on her white floor.

"How is it my fault that you disobeyed orders in the first place?" she spat back. He growled and leaned forward adding more pressure to her throat. Fria struggled to breathe. She lifted a leg and rammed her knee into his stomach causing him to double over. She took the opportunity to run around him and draw her Zanpakuto. She held it against his throat. He was still bent over, but he appeared to no longer be in pain. A drop of blood beaded on the point of her blade.

"Get out." She demanded. He looked up at her, the hatred clear in his eyes. She jerked her head to the door. He stood up straight and didn't move. For a moment, she was worried he was going to try to overpower her. Fria didn't doubt that he could I he wanted, but she was hoping he would fall for her bluff. He took a step to the door. Fria didn't let up and continued to hold her Zanpakuto to his throat. He continued walking until he reached the door.

"This isn't over." He said quietly and walked out. The moment he left Fria fell to the floor. She sat breathing heavily and trying to regain her composure. _What the hell was his problem?_ Fria stared at the drops of blood on her floor and sighed. Could this day go on any longer?

_**Karakura Town**_

"…chi…go, Ich…go, ICHIGO!" Ichigo opened his eyes and blinked away the bright light. When his vision cleared, he saw Orihime's face leaning over him. Concern soon turned to relief when she saw he was awake.

"What happened?" he mumbled rubbing his head.

"You don't remember? You went off to fight that stranger with the high spirit energy. Then a girl showed up and she would have killed you if Captain Tousen didn't show up." She said hlping him sit up.

"That's right, where did they go do you know?" He asked turning to look directly at her. Orihime shook her slowly and then her lower lip began to tremble. She suddenly threw her arms around his neck and began sobbing into his shoulder.

"I was so worried!" she said between sobs. "When you fell from the sky I rushed over to find you. Your body was so cold and there was this frost covering your body. I tried to heal you but you weren't getting any better. I kept at it though and… and eventually you started to get better. I was so glad when you finally woke up, because I care about you Ichigo and I couldn't bear the thought of losing you!" she finished and continued sniffling into his Soul Reaper uniform. Ichigo was stunned. Orihime had never acted this way before. Not entirely sure what to do, he placed his hand on her back and patted it gently.

"I hate to interrupt this touching moment, but we have a problem." A voice said above them. Ichigo looked up and was startled.

"Kisuke, what kind of problem?" He asked the man standing in front of him. The man had on a long green coat with white diamond shapes on the bottom. He held a cane in his hand and Ichigo knew that it actually held a Zanpakuto. Orihime sat up and sniffled once before standing up and brushing off her pants. Ichigo stood up too and walked over to Kisuke.

"Well, do you realize who you just fought?" Kisuke asked.

"They were Aizen's men, right?" Kisuke placed a hand in his forehead and tilted his head back.

"Well, yes, but the girl was different." Ichigo looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Kisuke let out a long sigh.

"She…was a Captain of the 13 court guard squads a long time ago." Kisuke said looking away. Ichigo was stunned. He had never heard of her before and nobody had bothered to mention her either.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked. Kisuke turned back to him and there was a vacant look in his eyes. It was almost as if he wasn't really there.

"I know because I was her lieutenant before I became a Captain. She went on a mission to go kill some Hollows. It should have been basic, but something went wrong. She was assumed dead, but her body was never found. That was a long time ago. I never imagined she would turn up again here and now." Kisuke said looking to the sky.

"Well shouldn't we contact the Soul Society? Wouldn't they know what to do?" Orihime asked speaking for the first time since Kisuke had arrived.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. For one thing, I doubt they would believe us, considering you two shouldn't know about her and I am considered a traitor. Even if they did believe you, what would they do? She works for Aizen now and I doubt he brainwashed her so she had to have joined willingly." Kisuke spoke quietly scratching his head.

"But still, we have to do something!" Ichigo protested. He didn't feel right just letting it go.

"We are going to do something." Kisuke began "I am going to work on a way for you guys to get into Hueco Mundo, which according to Rukia is where they found Aizen. Once there you should be able to gather more intel on what Aizen is planning." Ichigo and Orihime nodded their heads. This was a serious matter and none of them could afford to mess up.

_**Fria**_

Fria was wandering the halls. It was boring to sit in her room until she was needed. She figured a walk would be a good way to pass the time, as well as take her mind off of Grimmjow. He was such a jerk and she wanted to hit him, but knew that it would likely be a one-sided battle. She didn't really have any idea where she was going so she just kept walking. She was fiddling with the edges of her sleeves when she bumped into something large and solid. Startled she fell backwards on to her butt. She shook her head to clear it and looked up. In front of her was a very large man. He was very old looking and had a five-pointed crown on his head. His coat was lined with black fur and he had on large gold armbands. He looked down at her with a sneer on his face.

"Watch where you're going, brat." He said gruffly. Fria put a pout on her face. She was not in the mood to deal with another tough jerk. She stood up and flipped her hair out of her face. Fria calmly strode past him and down the hall behind him. She was determined not to get into another fight. Fria made a left at the next intersection and came to a dead end. The only thing there was a balcony overlooking a courtyard. She walked up to it and leaned onto the railing. There wasn't anything special about the view, she just needed to relax. She glanced down at her Zanpakuto and smiled. She had never met the spirit living inside but knew that it would always be there for her. She was yanked from her thoughts by shouting below. She leaned over the rail and looked down. There were two people standing across from each other. Both of them had their Zanpakuto out and seemed to be close to a fight. Fria, not wanting to get involved, was about to leave when she recognized one of them. Her eyes widened when she realized it was Nel. She watched as the unknown figure swung his large scythe style Zanpakuto at Nel and she expertly dodged it. Fria didn't hesitate when she boosted herself onto the railing and jumped off. She landed several feet away from them. She watched as the tall black aired man brought his Zanpakuto down on Nelliel. Nel brought her smaller sword up to block it and was pushed back by the force of his swing. Fria watched in horror as the man recovered from the swing and before Nel could react, swung it down next to her head.

"Nel watch out!" Fria screamed. Nel looked up just in time to see the scythe flying towards her head. Before Fria knew what she was doing, she rushed over and blocked the hit with her still sheathed Zanpakuto. Nel stared at her in shock. Fria was struggling to keep the blade from crashing down and killing her. Fria turned to look back at Nel.

"Are you…Okay?" Nel shook her head, dashed around Fria, and lunged at the man's exposed stomach. He jumped back before he was killed. Fria was relieved to have the pressure off her arms and pulled out her Zanpakuto. Nel walked back to her and grabbed her arm.

"Fria I want you to leave." She said quietly. Fria was too stunned to speak for a moment.

"I won't let you fight him alone!" Fria said back, worried for Nel.

"This is my fight, I won't get you killed." Nel retorted. Fria shook her head furiously. She needed to fight and wasn't about to let Nel stop her. She turned back to the strange man and for the first time got a good look at him. His hair was black and reached his shoulders in length. He had the creepiest smile plastered on his face. Fria would have been frightened if she didn't want to kill him so badly.

"Who is he?" Fria asked Nel, not looking away from him.

"His name is Nnoitra Gilga, he is Espada number 8." Nel replied with a sigh. "Considering I doubt you will leave, at least promise me you'll be careful. He's a lot stronger than he looks." Fria nodded her head once and looked at Nel.

"He replaced Szayel then?" Nel nodded her head once and then took a fighting stance.

"Look sharp here he comes!" Fria turned back and noticed that he was charging up a Cero. Fria began charging up a Cero of her own when Nel stopped her. Fria looked over at her, thinking that maybe she had a death wish. It was then that she noticed that Nel was pushing Fria behind her. Fria started to protest when Nnoitra fired the fully charged Cero. Fria started to think of ways that she could get Nel out of the way and save herself at the same time. The Cero crept ever closer and Fria began to panic. Nel turned and looked at her.

"Don't worry, I have this." Fria took her word for it and braced herself for whatever Nel had in mind. When the Cero was about to hit them Nel put up her hand and stopped it dead. Fria stared in astonishment and was even more surprised when Nel opened her mouth and began to inhale the Cero. Nel continued to inhale until the entire Cero was gone. She then closed her mouth and stood still for a moment before reopening her mouth and firing a Cero of her own. Fria heard Nnoitra shout something in surprise before bringing his scythe weapon up in front of him to block the oncoming blast. He flew back wards until he hit a pillar and slid down slowly until he landed on the ground. Fria looked over at him and immediately was on guard when she saw him stir. He stood up and brushed off the dirt that coated hi shoulders. He turned and glared at them.

"You're gonna regret that, bitch." He snarled. Fria blinked furiously because suddenly there seemed to be more than one of him. Fria felt odd, as if she was looking through water at him.

"Do you see it too Nel?" She asked fighting nausea.

"Yeah, be on your guard. He's got something up his sleeve." Fria nodded once and took a step forward. She held her Zanpakuto in her left hand and brought it up in front of her.

"Chill, Dansu Shimo." She whispered and watched as her blade began to glow blue. She stepped forward so that she stood in front of Nel. "Considering you won't walk out of this alive I guess I'll give you the privilege of knowing my Shikai's ability. You see when Dansu Shimo cuts something it sends a freezing wave of energy through the body. It slowly freezes the blood stream solid. That's why any wound freezes shut. It is only a matter of time before there is nothing left but a frozen corpse." Fria said with a smile. Nel looked over at her and gave an approving tilt of the head.

"Is that so?" Nnoitra said with a smirk "You kill me? I don't think so. I believe that by the end of this battle you'll be the one dead." He rushed them then and Fria was taken off guard by the multiple images moving the same way. When one of the multiple Nnoitra's drew close, she swung her sword, intending to cut him in half. Her sword passed harmlessly through and the double raised the scythe it held and slashed Fria's shoulder. Nothing happened to her either and she realized that the doubles were just a ruse. She turned back to Nel and saw that she was fighting off two copies. Fria ignored the double in front of her and began jogging towards Nel. It was at that moment that she noticed a third Nnoitra falling from above Nel. Deep inside Fria knew that this was the real one. He was intending to kill Nel using and ambush.

"NEL! ABOVE YOU!" Fria screamed as she quickened her pace. Nel turned but couldn't bring up her Zanpakuto in time to block the blow. Fria watched helpless as Nnoitra brought his weapon down atop Nel's head. Nel went limp and then crumpled to the ground. Fria rushed to her side and turned her over. The whole left side of Nel's mask was broken and her face had a large slash running down. She wasn't responding to anything Fria did. Fria heard a footstep behind her and spun around. Nnoitra stood in front of her, his weapon poised to strike. She knew that if she didn't move that she would be killed. She reacted quickly and swung her foot at his feet. He fell backwards and she didn't waste any time in jumping up and bringing her sword crashing down onto him. She was bent over and waiting for the smoke to clear until she heard a laugh.

"Hey, girlie you missed." She spun around just in time to take a large cut to her chest. She looked down in surprise at the blood pouring from the wound. She looked up at his face and was disgusted by the look he wore. He seemed to be enjoying himself. Fria fell to her knees and then onto the ground. She couldn't move, and couldn't feel anything besides the massive amount of pain. The world started to turn black and her last thoughts were, _Nel, I should have listened to you._

_**Author's Note: All right, so there's that. This will be the last chapter I can load for a while. I have to start school and I won't be able to get full computer access all the time. After this, things will start to get interesting. Show some love with a review please!**_


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